Assignment title: Information


(1) Be it product strategy, promotion strategy, pricing strategy, or distribution strategy, if there is an important issue that permeates our course it is whether firms should standardize or customize their global marketing strategy. Thus, we once again revisit the issue of standardization-customization in Quelch and Hoff’s article “Customizing Global Marketing.” (a) Identify, Describe and explain each of the various sections of Quelch and Hoff’s article “Customizing Global Marketing” in substantive detail (b) Do you agree or disagree with the authors’ premise? If so, why, if not, why not? Explain your answer in substantive detail. (c) Does this article deal PRIMARILY with marketing PROGRAM standardization or marketing PROCESS standardization? What is the difference between marketing program standardization and marketing process standardization? In your discussion, explain how is this article different from those discussed earlier on the issue of standardization-adaptation? Either way, explain your position in SUBSTANTIVE DETAIL. (You may conduct additional research and use external sources of information to explain your answer, but be sure to cite ALL your sources of information after each answer.) (2) The concept of standardization and customization applies to all aspects of Promotion Strategy. (a) Define ALL the components of promotion strategy, i.e., advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, and direct marketing. Can all these components be standardized or do they need to be customized in devising a global promotions strategy? (b) Are there any promotion strategy components (advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, and direct marketing) that are more “standardizable” for consumer or industrial products? If so, identify and explain which one(s). (c) Based on the HBS cases you have analyzed so far, IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE the process of 2 firms (identify the name of the firms as well) that use a direct personal selling strategy in its various country markets. (You may conduct additional research and use external sources of information to explain your answer, but be sure to cite ALL your sources of information after each answer.)